Pokemon Generations: Kanto
by PompousPrince
Summary: Pokemon Generations is an anthology series with Pokemon Generations: Kanto being the first installment in the series. Follow Red as he embarks on a journey of personal growth and revenge. [Updated Regularly]
1. Foreword

Pokemon Generations is an anthology series. Each installation will encompass a new adventure in a different region each time. Each installation will exist within the same universe and will crossover with one another in unique ways.

The first installment in the series, Kanto, will lay the groundwork for future installments. The beginning may seem a little slow and seem redundant with its explanations, but I assure you everything has a purpose.

I will do my best to update regularly.

Feel free to comment and offer any advice you see fit.

I thank you for giving my series a chance and I hope you all enjoy it.


	2. Dawn of a New Day

He watched as the young man, closer in age to a boy than a man, came near and crouched beside him. He tried to move, but was unable to; pain and a crippling fear refused to let him. The young man reach out and tilted his head slightly up, forcing him to look the young man in the face. The young man gently, with his other hand, moved the hair out of his eyes and seemed to study his face for a moment. The young man wore a smile upon his face, one most likely born from pleasure than from compassion. The young man stroked his face absentmindedly with his thumb for a moment, seeming lost in thought, before letting his head drop to the ground once more.

The young man stood up, brushing the dirt and debris from his clothes, and turned his back to the boy lying upon the ground.

"You are weak…" The young man said and ushered his companion to his side.

"This world is not for the weak…"

The young man turn his head towards his companion.

"Charmander...use Flamethrower."

* * *

He screamed and bolted up in his bed, tears streaming down his face. His breathing was quick and sweat drenched his body. He wiped the tears from his face and turned to sit on the side of his bed; his sheets coming with him. The sheets were damp with sweat and clung to his bare chest. He tossed the sheets aside, put his face in his hands, and just sat there letting his feet dangle down from the top bunk.

It had been a long time since he had had that dream. He remembered a time when that was the only dream he had; tormenting him night after night. Over time he learned to suppress the dream, the years helping him cope with what had happened, but every so often it would rear it's ugly head like it did this night.

He sat on the edge of his bed a few moments long, listening to the rhythmic breathing of his roommate below him. He knew it was pointless to try and fall asleep again, better to start the day early than suffer anew. He quietly made his way down from the top bunk, trying his best not to wake his roommate, and slipped out of the room.

He found himself standing in a large room, its size and shape close to that of a large barn or gymnasium. The room was filled to the brim with various equipment, books, charts, diagrams...all dedicated to the research of Pokemon. This room was Professor Oak's Laboratory.

He quickly made his way across the room, the open space and his lack of clothing hardly conducive to keeping warm, and into the bathroom on the other side. Normally it would be considered impractical the put the only bathroom so far from one's sleeping quarters, but then again it wouldn't have been an issue if there had been plans to house people in the Laboratory. Due to a series of events, and a lack of space within the Professor's own home, Professor Oak converted his largest storage space into sleeping quarters. He will always be thankful for everything the Professor has done for him.

The bathroom was no better for heat than the laboratory so he quickly turned on the shower and let the room fill with steam. He stood at the sink, waiting for the water to reach the optimum temperature, and started at his reflection. He was told he was handsome, but he couldn't see it. Then again he was biased. His body was toned and slightly sunkissed from his work. His brown hair was short and naturally unkempt; the result of an abundance of unmanageable cowlicks. His eyes were cerulean blue and his angular face was peppered with stubble; he hated to shave. However the most distinguished, and most commented on, feature of his body were the scars left over from burns down the right side of his body. He traced the length of them with his left hand: starting from the edge of his jaw line, down his right arm and chest, down his waist, and ending around mid thigh. He was told he was lucky, had he not moved and covered himself the way he had he would have sustained considerably more damage.

He turned from the mirror, not wanting to think any more on it that he already had this night, and slipped into the waiting shower.

* * *

By the time Red had finished with his shower and gotten dressed, he had thrown on a plain black hoodie and some jeans, the sun had started to peak over the horizon. It was still too early for anyone to arrive and the thought of sitting alone in a quiet building had driven him outside. Professor Oak's Laboratory consisted of two structures: a large building that house his living quarters and the laboratory, and large conjoining windmill that powered the entire structure. It was built upon a hill that overlooked the town and in order to reach it you had to go around the backside due to the steepness of the side facing the town. It was this spot that he was heading to now.

When he had first arrived at Professor Oak's Laboratory he wanted nothing to do with anyone and just wanted to get away from it all. He had been too scared to go anywhere far from the building and eventually discovered this spot. It was the highest point in the area and offered the best view of the town below. So during that time, and since then, anytime he needed to escape or just wanted to sit in silence he would come out here, sit, and enjoy the view. The Professor eventually caught wind of this and as a surprise one day placed a beautifully carved bench there for him to sit on.

Red finished crossing the lawn and took a seat in the middle of the bench and looked out over Pallet Town. The town itself was a sight to behold. The town resided within a natural valley in the middle of the woods with a few trees interspersed throughout the area. Great care was taken by the residence to respect the land and build their homes with the land instead of against it. This resulted in each home having its own unique style. Residence even went as far as to paint each of their homes in a myriad of different colors. The view of it all was utterly breathtaking.

The sun had almost fully risen by the time he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"I thought I would find you out here Red." Said a man's voice behind him.

Red turned and looked over his shoulder. He saw a man walking towards him carrying two steaming mugs in his hand. He was of similar height to Red and had a slim body, one born from someone who choose mental work over physical. His medium blonde hair still sporting bedhead and his green eyes showed signs of another late night. He offered Red one of the steaming mugs, which he graciously accepted, and moved over to allow the man to sit.

The two sat in silence for a moment, Red taking liberal drinks from his mug; it contained his favorite vanilla coffee.

"Thank you August." Red said, turning to smile at his oldest friend. "I needed this."

"I figured," August replied returning the smile. August had always had a knack for knowing what he need, sometimes before he even knew himself. The two of them had essentially grown up together, both coming to live here with the Professor under unusual circumstances. Red had actually disliked August at first, then again he had disliked everyone back then.

Red had originally been sent to stay with Professor Oak after his traumatizing run in with the young man from his dream. After he had recovered from his injuries, he had been terrified to be around any sort of Pokemon. His parents were away a lot, they were both well known Archaeologists and were forced to travel a lot, and the people in charge of caring for him were at a loss as to what to do. Who wouldn't in a world where everything was so heavily entwined with Pokemon. His parents had tried their best, returning from their travels early and refusing to leave again till he was better, before sending him to stay with a colleague who specialized in the relationships between humans and Pokemon.

August had arrived about a month after he had and during those first few weeks Red had refused to speak to or cooperate with anyone. Day after day he would just sit up here on the hilltop, gazing down at the town below lost in thought. August had come to stay with Professor Oak after a fire, caused by a mysterious explosion, had destroyed his family home and his family along with it. No one knows quite how he was the only one to survive, just that he had been found unconscious a little ways from the burning building.

Everyone had expected August to be like Red, or worse, but he had acted the complete opposite. They were worried at first, someone so young to not outwardly grieve after what had happened, but after awhile they accepted he should grieve in his own way. They reassured him that if he needed someone they were there. He was a curious person and had a passion for learning. This was not surprising considering his family had been instrumental in establishing and funding the Pokemon Laboratory on Cinnabar Island.

August had tried several times in the beginning to interact with him and every time he ignored him or told him to leave him alone. However August was also the stubborn type and refused to take no as an answer. So August decided to do the complete opposite of what Red wanted and began to follow him everywhere. Where ever Red went, August would follow and no matter what he said or did August refused to let up. This went on for weeks and to everyone's surprise it was working. With each passing day August managed to break a little bit of Red's wall. It would be years before Red realized that what he needed more than anything else was for someone to not give up on him no matter what. Eventually Red has given in to August's efforts and the two of them became quick friends. Red even apologized for his actions those first few months and agreed to work with Professor Oak. It had taken some time, but with the help of both August and Professor Oak he managed to get over his fear of Pokemon.

A few years later Red received news that his parents had passed away; one of the sites they had been excavating had collapsed and trapped them inside. Sadly by the time a rescue team had managed to reach them it had been too late. Having nowhere to go, for they had been his only family, Professor Oak agreed to allow him to stay. He figured if he were to house one boy, what was one more.

"So I take you have made up your mind," August said, more matter of fact than a question. "When are you going to tell him?"

"What makes you think I have made up my mind?" Because August knew Red.

"You had a dream about him again didn't you?" August missed nothing when it came to Red. It wouldn't have surprised him if he had been faking being asleep when he had gotten up.

"I did," There was no point in trying to lie. "And…"

"And I know that he will always be there in the back of your mind until you decided to do something about it." Cutting Red off.

It was true that Red had made up his mind, he had made it up a long time ago. The issue was not the decision itself, but the consequences that occurred because of his decision.

"I plan on telling him after breakfast. I figure it would be best to do it sooner rather than later." Red turned to face August, "And I want you to come with me." The statement came out as more of a plea, but no matter how much he wanted August to join him, he knew he wouldn't. His sense of loyalty to the man who had open his house, his life, to him when he needed it most was too strong.

"You know I can't…" August said, anguish clear upon his face. "You know I would if I could, but both of us can't leave. It will be hard enough to replace you, let alone the both of us. Also who will be hear to make sure he is taken care of?"

"I know." Red didn't push the issue.

The two boys sat there in silence, a sullen mood had fallen over them.

"Well," August said, taking Red's empty mug from him and standing up. "I am going to go inside and start preparing breakfast." He started to walk away and turned back toward Red, "Try not to stay out here too long." He smiled at Red and began walking towards the building. "It would be a shame if someone missed their own Birthday celebration!"


	3. Birthday Breakfast and Bombshells

Due to a series of unique events that had befallen past birthday celebrations, ranging from a rampaging Rhyhorn to a hungry Snorlax, birthdays had become a morning tradition between the three of them. Each of them would take turns, depending on whose birthday it was, preparing a feast of that person's favorite foods for the three of them to enjoy. This year Red had asked August, who had volunteered to prepare the food this year, to include everyone's favorite dishes since it would be the last time the three of them would be together like this for the foreseeable future.

August had not held back this year, knowing how important this meal was, for the table was teeming with food. There were various breakfast foods (Professor Oak always requested a tradition breakfast), baked goods (August had a considerable sweet tooth), and Monte Cristo sandwiches. Red had fallen in with them after having them on the S.S. Anne, a cruise ship Professor Oak had taken them on a few years prior. August had learned to make them for Red after they had discovered no restaurant in the general area knew how to make them.

August had finished putting the last of the food on the table when the door to the kitchen opened; the kitchen/dining area had its own entrance and was located on the side of the laboratory. Standing in the doorway was a man in his late forties with a cake in one hand, a bag in the other, and a half asleep Pikachu slumped over his shoulder: Professor Oak.

"Good morning Augustus and a Happy Birthday to you Reginald!" Professor Oak liked to call them by their full names, no matter how much they begged him not to. He set the cake and bag down on a side table and took in the spread set out on the table. "I was going to ask what still needed to be done, but I can see Augustus has seen to everything already."

"Of course I have, for you to expect anything less." August feinted disappointment and handed Professor Oak a cup of fresh coffee. Professor Oak laughed and took the proffered cup of coffee.

"Everything smells and looks amazing! You really outdid yourself this year Augustus." Professor Oak commented, noticing the variety of food.

"I wanted everything to be special and you only come of age once!" When a child reaches their eighteenth birthday they are considered of age. August was slightly older than Red and had come of age two years ago.

"I also requested that this year we have everyone's favorite foods." Red said, leaning against one of the counters.

"You both have done so much for me over the last few years, so I wanted all of us to enjoy it." Red had personally funded everything, having taken on a few side jobs to afford it, and would have prepared it himself, but August refused to hear of it. Partly due to it being his birthday and possibly the last dinner together for a long while and partly due to the fact that August was a considerably better chef than Red.

"That is very kind of you to think of all of us Reginald and I think we can both agree that you have done equally as much for us." August nodded in agreement.

"So Thank You. Both of you." He said nodding towards August. "Now why don't we all take a seat and enjoy this feast! I would hate for any of it to get cold!" The three of them took a seat at the table, Professor Oak also rousing the previously sleeping Pikachu who climbed down onto the table, and the four of them enjoyed the feast.

"I will say it again," Professor Oak began, sitting back in his seat with his hands on his stomach. "You really outdid yourself August. Everything was delicious!"

"Pika!" Chimed in the Pikachu, seemingly equally satisfied with the meal.

"Everything was delicious August, Thank You!" Red smiled sincerely at August.

"Now!" Red said and got to his feet. "I want you two to sit back and relax while I clear the table!"

Professor Oak tried to protest, but Red waved him off. He had wanted to get everything cleaned up and allow them a chance to relax before talking to Professor Oak. Red worked on the dishes and listened as August and Professor Oak discussed August's latest research. Where Professor Oak's research centered around the relationships between Pokemon and humans, August's research centered around Pokemon genetics and artificially created Pokemon. Most of what they discussed made little sense to Red, never truly having a knack for academics, but he enjoyed listening to their passionate conversations. He wanted to enjoy every moment that he could with the two of them, for he didn't know how many he would have left.

Red finished cleaning and putting everything away in the kitchen and sat back down at the table with the others. Professor Oak's Pikachu had fallen back asleep, most likely lulled to sleep by their conversation, and the other two were now discussing the recent string of deaths, Pokemon kidnappings, vandalism and property damage that has occurred as of late.

"The believe they may have some information regar…" Professor Oak had been saying before Red had cut him off.

"Have they finally been able to identify who has been doing all this? And sorry…" Professor Oak's face going hard at having been interrupted, but softened after a moment and answered his question.

"They are not certain, but they believe it to be a radical new group that has decided to come out of the shadows. They don't have an official name for them yet, but have started to refer to them as Team R in reference to the red R's found vandalized on buildings of late. What I had been saying earlier, before I was so rudely interrupted, was that they have received information regarding a potential location of the organization's base of operations. They haven't revealed where they believe it could be, just that they believe they do. This is most likely a ploy to draw out the organization and in turn their true location or they actually do have some information and wish to keep people from trying to investigate it themselves."

"Most likely a combination of both." August commented, gently stroking the sleeping Pikachu.

"Either way I hope they find and detain all of those responsible. To think of some of the things they have done…" After overcoming his fear of Pokemon, he found that he had become very passionate about the wellbeing and treatment of all Pokemon. So to hear that there is a group of individuals out there committing such heinous acts towards Pokemon had outraged Red. He has been following the story ever since.

At first it had started out as a little vandalism, a few buildings in different cities with red R's painted on them. Then came the reports of trainers who claimed they had been attacked and all their Pokemon stolen. Which wasn't an unheard of thing, but it was the nature of the attacks that caused them to make the news. Supposedly each trainer that had been attacked reported being knocked unconscious and upon waking having no recollection of who or what had attacked them. Nobody had connected the two stories together at first, there was no evidence to suspect they were, until one trainer had reported remembering her attacker. She reported remembering several people dressed in all black with a large red R emblazoned on their clothing. She, along with her Pokemon, were found dead a few days after the news had aired it. Since then the news has been very careful with how much information they released.

"It is an unthinkable thing and not one we should be thinking of on a day like this. I also think now is as good a time as any for the best part of any birthday: the cake and presents."

"Actually," Red said, deciding now was the best time as any to say what he had to say. "There is something I would like to talk to you about before we do anything else." He dreaded what he had to say next.

Professor Oak had gotten up to retrieve the cake and bag from where he had placed it earlier, but disregarded it for now and returned to his seat. His features showing that Red had his full attention.

"I have been thinking about this for a long time and I can assure you that the decision was not made lightly. However I have decided…"

"To leave. I know." Professor Oak said, cutting Red before he could finish what he had to say.

"You knew? How could you…"

"I have known for a long time that this day would come and suspected it would be soon after you had come of age. Thankfully the law dictating how old a person needs to be before they can become a licensed trainer had changed or I'm sure you would have left the moment you turned ten. Thankfully I had been given time to help shape you into the man you are today." It was true that had the old laws still applied he would have left long ago. It was hard to imagine a world that allowed children the ability to emancipate themselves and go off to do as they please in the world.

"Are you upset with me for wanting to leave?" Red asked, fearing the answer to his question and trying his best to hold back the tears he felt stinging his eyes.

"Of course I am upset that you are leaving," Professor Oak said. "After everything…" Red felt his heart catch in his throat as he spoke those words.

"Now could a father not be upset at having to saying goodbye to both his sons as they leave to become the great men he knew they would one day become." Professor Oak seemed to have been fighting back tears himself for he too had begun to cry.

"I think you are mistaken Professor Oak," August said, "I am not leaving."

Professor Oak wiped the tears from his face and looked toward August. "Oh? And why is that?"

"I am needed here with you. It will be hard enough to run this place with one of us leaving, but if both of us were to …" August seemed to have also succumbed to the tears for they had begun to freely flow down his face. "Who else is going to take care of you. I can't bear the thought of leaving you here alone..."

"I am deeply touched that you would be willing to sacrifice so much in order to keep me company, but I could not allow you to do that. It is true that no one could replace the two of you, but your place is no longer here with me. Your place is out there in the world, experiencing everything life has to offer until you find that path you were always meant to take."

"But what about everything here? How will you be able to take care of everything that needs to be done without us?" August asked, clearly concerned.

"Don't worry about things here. I have already reached out to several sources and am confident that I will be able to find the help I need while the two of you are away. I doubt I could ever find anyone that could replace the two of you nor would I want to even if I could."

"But..." August began, but was cut off by Professor Oak.

"I believe the matter has already been settled, has it not Augustus?"

August nodded.

"Good. Now then, who wants cake?"

The two boys looked at one another and both smiled the same mischievous smile. Professor Oak seemed to recognize the smile on both of their faces and got up from his seat, raising his arms out in front of him.

"Don't you two dare!" He said to them as they turned and looked at him. "I am warning you…" But it was no use, the boys had already begun to move. Professor Oak watched as the two boys rushed forward, arms extended out in front of them, and braced himself for the impact. Originally intending on embracing Professor Oak simultaneously, like they had done many times before, but in their overzealousness ended up knocking Professor Oak to the ground; proceeding to fall on top of him.

The three of them sat there, tears running down their faces, and laughed.


	4. Who's That Pokemon?

The room was filled with cheer and the sound of off key singing. Red sat there listening, clearly embarrassed at being sung to, as the two men across from him preformed a horrid rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. Though thoroughly embarrassed, Red couldn't help but smile. Things had turned out better than he could ever have imagined and world of new possibilities stretched out before him.

"MAKE A WISH! MAKE A WISH! MAKE A WISH!" They chanted, waiting for Red to blow out the candles. Red looked down at the cake in front of him, it was frosted with blue and red icing, and thought of what to wish for.

 _What more could he possibly wish for?_ He thought, looking up at his family. He blew out the candles, wishing for nothing more than for his family to have wonder life.

"So I think we need to start compiling a list," August said between bites of cake. "We need to make sure we have everything before we leave. I would hate to be out there and get stuck in a situation where we needed something we had forgotten to bring. We need…" He trailed off, losing himself in thought, and started silently counting off things with his fingers.

"I think...Thank You," Red said, thanking Professor Oak and taking the piece of cake he offered. "I think we should first worry about obtaining our Trainer Licenses and how we plan on getting our first Pokemon since neither of us actually have one." Per the law, a person under the age of eighteen could not capture, carry, or battle with a Pokemon unless under the supervision of a licensed adult. Once a person had come of age they may apply for and obtain a Trainer License.

"Which reminds me." Red said, turning to Professor Oak. "How exactly do we get Trainer Licenses?"

"Well," Professor Oak started, swallowing his piece of cake before continuing. "You first need to seek out an Official Member of the Pokemon League and request a mentorship with that person. During this mentorship they will guide you on basic survival skills and the basics of being a Pokemon Trainer. Then once they have deemed you fully capable of handling yourself and your Pokemon, then you and your mentor can fill out the appropriate paperwork and send it into the Pokemon League."

The two boys sat there and just looked at Professor Oak, flabbergasted looks upon their faces. Professor Oak chuckled, seemingly to enjoy the looks they were giving him, and moved his seat back a little placing the bag from earlier in front of him.

"Thankfully for the both of you," He said, undoing the drawstring on the bag in front of him. "You have been receiving a mentorship from an Official Member of the Pokemon League for years ." He removed two small rectangular objects from the bag, one red and one blue, and handed one to each of the boys. "From me."

"You are a member of the Pokemon League?" Red ask, holding the red rectangular object in his hand and looking at it curiously. Ironically enough red was his favorite color.

"How did we not know this?" August asked, also studying the blue rectangular object in his hand. Blue had always been August's favorite color.

"Well for one neither of you had asked me," Professor Oak rummaging around in the bag again and produced a black lacquered box about a foot in length. "And two I may have purposely neglected to mentioned it to the two of you."

"But why?" Red asked, setting the red rectangle on the table. "I don't understand how us knowing would have been detrimental."

"I will admit that part of the reason I did not mention it to the both of you was for selfish reasons. I had hoped that removing the temptation of mentorship would keep you from wanting to become trainers, but I knew that at least one of you would leave when they came of age no matter what I tried. Knowing that I made sure to incorporate majority of what a mentor would teach you into your everyday lives without you even realizing it. This way the things you needed to know came naturally to you right from the beginning instead of later on in your journeys. Which brings me to the devices I just gave you." Professor Oak indicating the red and blue rectangular devices each of the boys had.

"What are these anyways?" August asked, clearly unsure of what he was holding.

"What you have in your hands is a device called a Pokedex. It is a resource tool for trainers that the Pokemon League and I have been working on for a long time. The two devices you hold in your hands are prototypes. I had them built in order for the two of you to field test them for..."

"So what do they do exactly?" August interjected, always the curious one.

"Well if you had just waited a moment long I had been about to tell you." He halfheartedly scolded August, shaking his head and smiling.

"The Pokedex was designed as a multi-purpose tool for trainers including a comprehensive index of all currently known Pokemon and various information regarding them as well as being a communication device and an Almanac containing maps, weather, locations, and information for wherever you travels may take you. It also has the ability to gather information from the Pokemon you encounter and add that information to the database. Right now the information is rudimentary at best which is why I am asking you to field test them."

"All that in such a small device?" Red asked, clearly impressed.

"Technology has come a long way over the last few years thanks to the Silph Company. It is with their help that I had been able to bring this concept into a reality. I will show you how to properly use them later so for now you can put them away. Now to move on to your true gift." Professor Oak indicated the black box he had set on the table.

"I thought long and hard as to what would be the first gift for the two of you and since I had expect this day would come sooner rather than later, I decided this would be the most appropriate gift." Professor Oak opened the black lacquered box and inside rested two shiny, red and white Pokeballs resting on a bed of white satin.

"Are those?!" Red began, the excitement at the sight of the Pokeballs seeming to have struck him speechless.

August had also stopped fiddling with the Pokedex, having ignored Professor Oak's request to put them away, at the sight of the Pokeballs.

"I spent a long time contemplating what would be the most appropriate Pokemon for the each of you and in the end I believe I have achieved just that." He handed each of the boys one of the Pokeballs and placed the now empty box back into the bag.

"Why don't we go outside and allow the two of you to meet your new companions?" He didn't have to tell the two of them twice for the had been out the door before he had even gotten up from his seat. Professor Oak laughed to himself, admiration at the two of them clear on his face, and went to join the two of them outside.

* * *

Not far from Professor Oak's Laboratory was a large open field that was frequently used by the town for various events. Today it was to be used as a meeting ground for two boys and their Pokemon.

Red stared at the Pokeball in his hand and could hardly contain his emotions. So much had happened since he had woken up this morning and he was becoming overwhelmed with all the different emotions. He couldn't believe how everything was playing out.

August was standing close by utilizing the Pokeballs function to shrink down to pocket size and return to normal.

The two of them waiting for Professor Oak to arrive.

Professor Oak arrived shortly after, his Pikachu having rejoined him on his shoulder, with an amused look on his face.

"I know you are anxious, but I have a few things I would like to say before we begin. From here on out I am to act as your Mentor first and your Father second. I have managed to teach you most of what you need to know before you become a trainer, but there are a couple of things we still need to cover. The first is how to capture a Pokemon. I know you know the general idea of how it works, but it is different when you actually do it. The second is Pokemon Battles. We will tackle both of these over the next few days, but for the rest of today I want the two of you to bond with your new companions. It is important for trainers, especially first time trainers, to develop strong bonds with their Pokemon. With that being said, August I would like for you to go first."

August had looked shocked for being asked to go first, Red had been as well, but Red knew they both knew that Professor Oak did nothing without a reason. August straightened himself up, wearing a face of total seriousness, and threw his Pokeball. The Pokeball soared through the air and landed upon the ground; opening in a display of light and depositing its contents before returning to his hands.

On the ground before him was a pink and blue Pokemon that resembled a duck made out of geometric blocks: a Porygon.

"How did you…? This is…" August had become completely speechless, something few have ever witness. "I don't know what to say...Thank You!"

"There is nothing you need to say for your reaction said it all and you are welcome. Now I believe it is Reginald's turn."

Now that it was his turn, Red could do nothing but stare down at the Pokeball in his hand. He had prepared for this day for so long that now that it was here if felt so surreal. Like at any moment he could wake up and discover that everything had been just a dream.

 _Well if this is a dream._ He thought. _I better make the most of it!_ With that in mind he smiled and threw the Pokeball into the air.

The Pokeball sailed threw the air and landed on the ground not far from Red. When Pokemon first appears from it's Pokeball it is nothing but a ball of light before quickly taking shape of the Pokemon and appearing as normal. He wasn't quite sure the science of it himself, but remembered once reading it dealt with a process that converted living organisms into a form that could be contained within a Pokeball. The Pokemon was now taking shape, the light fading as it finished, and Red dropped the Pokeball to the ground.

"Why…" He asked confused and hurt, backing away.

Before him stood a small orange, bipedal lizard with a small flame emanating from it's tail: a Charmander.

"Why would you do this…"

 _You are weak…_

"How could you…"

 _This world is not for the weak…_

Unable to handle the sight of the Charmander or the man he considered his father; Red ran as far away from them as he could. He had been wrong. This wasn't a dream...it was a nightmare.


	5. Nightmares and Revelations Pt 1

Red sat at the edge of a river, tossing pebbles he found on its shore into the water, and just mindlessly gazed into the distance. Red was unsure as to his exact location, he knew it was somewhere deep in the forest, but he didn't mind. He was just glad to be away from everything.

Red watched as a school of Magikarp swam upstream and thought back to what had happened; fighting back the tears he felt coming.

 _How could he do something like that,_ He thought. _He must of known that it wouldn't have settled well with him. That the sight of the Charmander would upset him; bring back all the memories he worked so hard to suppress._ He gave up fighting the tears and let them fall.

He had stopped throwing pebbles at the sight of the Magikarp and decided to just lie down and close his eyes; listening to the sounds of the forest that surrounded him. He listened to the sound of Pidgey in the trees, rustling the leaves as they flew from branch to branch, and the splash of the Magikarp as they jumped from the river. The sounds acted as a lullaby, soothing his mind and stopping his tears, and soon he found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Red found himself standing there, gazing down at a boy lying on the ground. The boy whimpered in pain and seemed to try and move away from something.

 _Are you ok?_ He called out, but no sound escaped his lips. He tried calling out again, attempting to call out louder this time, but still no sound was produced.

He tried to move toward the boy and found that he couldn't move either. The boy moved again and this time he moved enough for Red to get a clearer image of the boy's face. Had some unknown force not held him in place he would have fallen backward at the sight of the boy's face. For the boy wore a face he knew all too well: his own.

He looked at the boy, the one wearing his face, and noticed the doppelganger was not looking at him, but at something in front of the doppelganger. Red turned to see what the doppelganger was looking at and saw a shape coming towards him. Red couldn't make out who or what the figure was, something seemed to obscure it when looking at it directly, but Red saw that whatever or whomever the figure was terrified the doppelganger.

Then it dawned on Red.

He knew this scene.

He knew this scene too well.

He had dreamed this scene countless times.

He had _lived_ this scene.

The doppelganger was him, when he was a child, and the figure…

Red turned to look at the figure, expecting to see him standing there with that smile on his face, and found someone else standing there: Professor Oak. He stood there, wearing the same smile that the young man had worn, and turn to look at Red.

Red fell backward, the force that had held him before seeming to disappear, and watched as Professor Oak walked toward him. Red noticed that his younger self had disappeared, leaving just him and Professor Oak.

Professor Oak continued toward him.

"You are weak!" He said, his face turning to one of disappointment. He reached into his lab coat and produced a Pokeball.

"This world is not meant for the weak!" He released the Pokemon and it formed next to him: a Charmander.

Professor Oak stopped in front of him, his Charmander standing idly next to him, and stared down at him with that look of disappointment.

Red tried to move away from him, but it was fear that paralyzed him this time. Red stared up at his adoptive father.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!" Red asked, confused and hurt.

"You know why." Professor Oak replied, giving no further explanation.

"I DON'T! I DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HURT ME! YOU KNEW AND YET YOU STILL DID IT! WHY?! TELL ME WHY!"

"I don't need to explain it to you. You already know why." Professor Oak no longer looked disappointed. He looked sad.

"Stop saying that…" Red no longer had the energy to raise his voice. He looked pleadingly at him. "Please just tell me…"

"You already know the answer Reginald," Professor Oak said, his face changing from sadness to compassion. "You and Augustus always say that I do nothing without reason, so think. What is that reason?"

He was right. Professor Oak, the real Professor Oak, never did anything without a reason. He and August had said that time and time again as they grew up. This time shouldn't have been any different. Up until then he had allowed his emotions to cloud his judgement instead of taking control of them and looking at the situation properly.

Red sat there and truly thought on everything.

"You knew I would react to the sight of a Charmander," Red said to the Dream Professor Oak, getting up and beginning to pace.

"Did I?" He replied.

"You did and you wanted me to react the way I did." Red continued, beginning to grasp something at the edges of his mind.

"Why would I do a thing like that?" He asked.

"Because," Red said, everything starting to come together. "You wanted me…"

"Are you ok?" Dream Professor Oak asked and grabbed ahold of him suddenly.

"I...what?" Red said startled and confused. "What are you…"

He began shaking Red, a look of worry on his face. "Reginald! Wake up!"

"What are you doing? Stop…"

"WAKE UP!"


	6. Nightmares and Revelations Pt 2

Red awoke to the image of Professor Oak leaning over him, hands clasping his arms and a look of worry on his face. At seeing that he was awake he quickly pulled him into his arms and held him tight. The two of them sat there a moment like this, neither speaking, before Professor Oak released him and held him at arm's length.

"I am sorry for surprising you like that," Professor Oak said, looking Red in the eyes. "I know it was not the most tactful thing I have ever done, but I hope you will understand that I did it for your own good." Professor Oak released Red and stood up.

"I know." Red said and also stood up, putting his hand on Professor Oak's shoulder. "I understand now what you were trying to do and I thank you. At the time I didn't," Red dropped his hand and looked down at his feet. "I allowed my emotions to get the best of me instead of taking the time to understand what you were trying to do. I know you would never had done something without having a good reason for doing it, especially something like this."

"To be honest," Professor Oak said languidly. "I also did it for my own reasons."

"What do you mean?" Red asked, looking up and giving Professor Oak his full attention.

"When I was younger I had never thought I would have kids. Not that I hadn't wanted them it was just that I had been so focused on my work that I never gave any thought to finding someone and settling down. Then by chance the two of you came into my life and everything changed. No longer could I focus solely on myself and my work. I had become a father and now had two little boys to take care of. It was rough in the beginning for all of us, but over time we became the family that we are now. You two had become the most important thing in my life and I would do anything to protect the two of you; especially you Reginald." Professor Oak looked compassionately at his adoptive son.

"Why would you feel you would have to protect me more? Do you not care for August and I the same?" Red looked somewhat hurt by that notion.

"That is not it at all." Professor Oak reassured Red. "I care about the two of you equally, but I do not feel I need to protect August the way I feel I need to protect you because unlike August you have something you need protecting from."

"What would I need protecting from?" Red asked looking thoroughly confused.

"From yourself." Professor Oak said both matter of factly and rather sadly.

"From myself? I don't understand." Red continued to look confused and now a little hurt.

"Do you know why I have always known that you would leave?"

Red shook his head in response.

"It is because of the fire I see in your eyes every time I look in them. The boy who attacked you all those years ago did more than just mark your skin; he also left a mark on your soul. Wounds of the skin can be healed with medicine and time, but wounds of the soul are not that simple. These wounds are unique and require something different to cure each one. For some it could be something as simple as time and for others it could be something far more complicated and potentially more dangerous. For you I fear the cure is the latter. I had hoped that with time I could extinguish that fire, but as the years went on I saw no change and decided to prepare you the best I could."

Red said nothing to this.

"My giving you the Charmander had been my last chance at possibly swaying you to abandon your journey, but as I can see that isn't the case. If anything I have only made your resolve stronger."

Red's face was steadfast and unwavering. His eyes showed a fire, no longer hidden, burning in his eyes.

"I am proud of the man you have become, but I will never approve of your reason for wanting to leave. I can understand it, but I will never accept it. They say when you embark on a journey of revenge to dig two graves, but remember you are not on this journey alone. If anything were to happen to Augustus because of your need for revenge; I will never forgive you."

"I understand." Red replied, a look of complete seriousness on his face.

"Very well. There is no way I can convince you to forget this vendetta of yours?" Professor Oak asked halfheartedly knowing full well the answer.

"I'm sorry. You know I cannot do that." Red replied.

"Then you will need this." Professor Oak reached into his lab coat and produced a Pokeball. "If you ever hope of confronting this person again than you will need to grow stronger starting with this." He placed the Pokeball in Red's hands. "There is a good chance that he will still be using his Charmander, or one of it's evolutions, also he is not the only trainer that owns a Charmander. If you ever hope to become a proper trainer you will need to get used to being in the presence of one. So take the rest of the day and bond with your Pokemon."

Professor Oak began to walk away and called back to Red as he did. "I wasn't lying when I said that I had done this for you. I know it won't be easy, but I know you will be able to overcome it and become a stronger trainer because of it. Try not to say out too late for we have an early start tomorrow!"


End file.
